The dangerous trifecta of mice, ticks and Lyme disease
Over the past three years our planet has been the hottest on record, and the changing climate helps many pests thrive, consequently negatively affecting our health. Field mice can carry Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease, and they provide the blood meals for blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, which can transmit the disease to humans. Field mice are typically considered outdoor animals but in suburban areas near forested land, they often nest inside walls and in garages. Warming temperatures and milder winters have increased not only the population of these mice but also its range. Rodent pressure is increasing. Mice used to seasonally enter homes primarily in the fall and winter months but now it’s a year-round problem. Warmer winters mean that more mice survive; it never gets cold enough to kill them. The dangerous trifecta of mice, ticks and Lyme disease is a problem for rural and suburban life, as well as, people living in concrete jungles. Rising temperatures may be introducing invasive species that might also transmit disease from blacklegged ticks.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dangerous-trifecta-mice-ticks-lyme-disease-randy-bilesky?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-the-dangerous-trifecta-of-mice-ticks-and-lyme-disease-1.20670485
